Condom packaging system for dispensing condoms

ABSTRACT

A condom packaging system includes several embodiments for a portable, lightweight box that converts into a dispenser that allows easy access to and removal of condoms stored therein. In a first embodiment the box includes a flip top upper opening that opens and closes for removing condoms therefrom while in a second embodiment the box includes an upper front half wall portion attached to the sidewalls and top wall of the box and a removable lower half wall portion that interfits to the upper half wall portion and can be gradually peeled away from the upper half wall portion for allowing removal of the condom wrappers. As the number of condom wrappers diminishes in the box, the lower front half wall portion is further peeled away until it is completely detached from the box for gaining access to the last condom wrapper. In addition, both boxes include visually attractive indicia printed on their various surfaces for promoting safe and healthy sexual practices.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention pertains to boxes, containers, and dispensers forpersonal health care items, and more particularly pertains to a portablecondom packaging system for the storage and dispensing of condoms.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Containers, boxes, cartons and dispensers are a ubiquitous part ofcontemporary retail, commercial and industrial business and commerce.They comprise such materials as corrugated cardboard, molded plasticsand glass, and can be opened and closed using lids and caps that slide,snap and screw on and off. After the lids or caps have been removed theitems stored therein can be poured out or dumped out in no particularlyorder (as is the case most obviously with pill bottles), or the itemsstored therein can be removed in some type of sequential order (as isthe case with tissues from a Kleenex box or paper towels from a papertowel dispenser). In many instances the items stored within the boxes,cartons, containers and dispensers are numbered in quantity and amount(bandages within a band-aid box, pills within a pill box, q-tips withina q-tip box, etc.) for purposes of pricing and consumer awareness anddisclosure. Labels, slogans and catchwords are commonly affixed to theboxes, cartons, containers and dispensers for product recognition andmarketability.

Some products are enhanced if they are stored in easy to open and easyto transport containers or cartons and include visually instructive,informational or educational indicia printed on the surfaces of thecontainers. Such a product is the condom that, due to the nature of theproduct and the circumstances of use, necessitates disposition in aneasy to access container or carton that should also have appropriatelyinstructive and highly visible slogans and statements printed thereonfor promoting and encouraging safe and healthy sexual practices. Thusthe prior art discloses a wide range of containers, boxes and dispensersfor personal health items such as condoms.

For example, the Desmond patent (U.S. Pat. No. 3,593,908) discloses adispenser bin carton formed from a cut and scored blank and whichincludes a movable bin front portion.

The Berkhouse patent (U.S. Pat. No. 3,900,158) discloses a dispensercarton that includes tear lines so that a portion of the carton can bedisposed to a dispensing position.

The Davidson et al. patent (U.S. Pat. No. 4,201,292) discloses adispenser carton wherein a portion of the top wall of the enclosure canbe torn away to reveal the contents inside and a rigid flap projectingfrom a rear wall can be folded down to cover the top of the carton and aportion of the top wall that was torn away.

The Flower et al. patent (U.S. Pat. No. 4,405,044) discloses a dispenserbox for sterile sutures that includes a front panel opening forsequentially removing the sutures and a side panel opening for viewingthe number of sutures remaining in the box.

The Williams patent (U.S. Pat. No. 5,447,253) discloses a condomdispenser that includes a box-like structure having an upper openingthrough which condoms are loaded and a bottom opening from which thecondoms are dispensed.

The Farrugia patent (U.S. Pat. No. 5,713,488) discloses a condomdispenser that is capable of releasable mounting to a support structure.

The Young patent (U.S. Pat. No. 6,036,022) discloses a combinationcondom case and fragrance dispenser wherein a fragrance tube is slidablydisposed within a first compartment of the dispenser and the sidewalladjacent the fragrance tube includes orifices that allow the fragrancesmell to permeate the case and spread outside the case.

The Borrero patent (U.S. Pat. No. 6,799,695 B1) discloses a sanitarynapkin dispensing device that includes a biasing spring mounted to theinterior of the top wall and which presses down upon the sanitarynapkins so that they can be dispensed, one at a time, from a hinged dooradjacent the bottom of the device.

Nonetheless, despite the ingenuity of the above devices, there remains aneed for a lightweight and portable condom packaging system thatincludes a closable and openable front panel in which the size of theopening corresponds to the amount of condoms in the dispenser box, andwhich also includes indicia printed on the dispenser box that visuallypromotes safe and healthy sexual practices and activities.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention comprehends a condom packaging system in severalembodiments that provides for easy access to and removal of the condomscontained therein and in which the box holding the condoms isconvertible to a dispenser for dispensing the condoms.

The condom packaging system includes two embodiments with the firstembodiment including a box having a front wall, a pair of opposedsidewalls, a back wall and a floor enclosing therein an interior cavitywhere the condom wrappers are placed. The upper end of the box includesa back flap having a centrally located slot and a front flap with thefront flap having a protrusion that slides into the slot so that thefront flap can be closed on the back flap. Visually attractive indiciaprinted on at least the front wall of the box include slogans orcatchwords that promote safe and healthy sexual practices in a fun andcatchy way.

A second embodiment for the condom packaging system includes arectangular-shaped box that includes a back wall, a front wall, opposedside walls, a floor and a top wall that enclose and define an interiorcavity where the condoms are stored. An upper front half wall portionthat is adjoined to the sidewalls and the leading edge of the top wallfurther characterizes the front wall. The upper front half wall portionis permanently attached to the aforesaid parts of the box. In addition,the front wall includes a lower half wall portion that is releasablyattachable to the vertical edges of the sidewalls and interfits to theupper half wall portion along a continuous detachment or score line forcreating the front wall. The lower half wall portion includes a tonguethat mates with a cut-out portion of the upper half wall portion, andprojecting from the tongue is a peel strip that is grasped by theindividual for incrementally peeling away the lower half wall portionfrom the upper half wall portion so that the condoms can be removed fromthe box. The front wall (both the upper half wall portion and the lowerhalf wall portion) includes visually attractive indicia printed thereonin the form of catchy and fun slogans for promoting safe and healthysexual practices.

It is an objective of the present invention to provide a condompackaging system wherein the box holding the condoms is convertible intoa dispenser for the condoms.

It is another objective of the present invention to provide a condompackaging system wherein the box holding the condoms has indicia printedthereon that promotes and encourages safe and healthy sexual practices.

It is yet another objective of the present invention to provide a condompackaging system that allows for easier access to the condoms by theindividual.

It is still yet another objective of the present to provide a condompackaging system that allows for several different ways to access thecondoms that are contained with the condom dispensing box.

Still yet another objective of the present invention is to provide acondom packaging system that is lightweight, portable and waterproof.

These and other objects, features and advantages will become apparent tothose skilled in the art upon a perusal of the following detaileddescription read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing figuresand appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a first preferred embodiment for thecondom packaging system illustrating the box in the closed dispositionand visually appealing indicia printed on the front of the box;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the first preferred embodiment of thecondom packaging system illustrating the box in the open disposition fordispensing condoms therefrom;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a second preferred embodiment of thecondom packaging system illustrating the box having front openingfeatures and visually appealing indicia printed on the front of the box;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the second preferred embodiment of thecondom packaging system illustrating a lower front half wall portion ofthe box completely detached from the box for gaining access to thecondoms;

FIG. 5 is a side elevational view of the second preferred embodiment ofthe condom packaging system illustrating the lower front half wallportion of the box in an initial opening position;

FIG. 6 is a side elevational view of the second preferred embodiment ofthe condom packaging system illustrating the lower front half wallportion of the box in an intermediate opening position;

FIG. 7 is a side elevational view of the second preferred embodiment ofthe condom packaging system illustrating the lower front half wallportion of the box in a fully open position;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a condom wrapper;

FIG. 9 is a front elevational view of the condom wrapper illustratingvisually appealing indicia printed on the wrapper for promoting safe andhealthy sexual practices; and

FIG. 10 is a rear elevational view of the condom wrapper illustratingvisually appealing indicia printed on the rear of the wrapper forpromoting safe and healthy sexual practices.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Illustrated in FIGS. 1-10 are several embodiments for a condom packagingsystem 10 wherein a box or box-like container structure converts to adispenser for dispensing condoms from the dispenser that are enclosedwithin their respective condom wrappers 12. The condom packaging system10 is a lightweight, portable and waterproof storage system and thesystem includes visually appealing and attractive indicia printedthereon in the form of fun and catchy slogans and catchwords forpromoting and encouraging safe and healthy sexual practices. The condomwrappers 12 also include indicia 14 printed thereon that comprise funand catchy slogans for promoting safe and healthy sexual practices.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a first embodiment for the condom packagingsystem 10 includes a generally rectangular-shaped box 16 having a bottomwall or floor 18, opposed side walls 20, a back wall 22, and an oppositefront wall 24. The box 16 of FIGS. 1 and 2 is further characterized byan upper end 26 for gaining access to the condom wrappers 12 and forremoving the condom wrappers 12 from an interior cavity -28 defined byand enclosed within the back wall 22, front wall 24, side walls 20, andfloor 18. Each side wall 20 also includes a respective side wall flap30.

In addition, the upper end 26 of the box 16 further includes a back flap32 pivotally secured to an upper long edge 34 of the rear wall 22 and afront flap 36 pivotally secured to an upper long front edge 38 of thefront wall 24. The back flap 32 further includes a centrally locatedelongated u-shaped slot 40 and the front flap 36 includes acorresponding protrusion 42 also centrally located thereon forengagement and insertion through the u-shaped slot 40. The cooperatingengagement of the u-shaped slot 40 and the protrusion 42 forms theclosure means for the box 16. The box 16 is shown in FIG. 1 completelyclosed with the side wall flaps 30 folded inward and the back flap 32folded down and toward the front wall 24 so that the protrusion 42 ofthe front flap 36 can engage the slot 40 on the rear flap 32 therebycompletely closing the box 16. In order to convert the box 16 into acondom dispenser the protrusion 42 of the front flap 36 is disengagedfrom the slot 40 of the rear flap 32 thereby allowing the front flap 36,the rear flap 32 and the side flaps 30 to be pivoted upward and foldedoutward as shown in FIG. 2. Access and removal of the condom wrappers 12can now occur and the condoms can be dispensed from the box 16 and usedas needed.

In order to promote and encourage safe and healthy sexual practicesindicia 44 can be printed on the various surfaces of the box 16, andthus indicia 44 are shown printed on the facing surface 46 of the frontwall 24 of the box 16 as shown in FIG. 1. The indicia 44 should be inthe form of visually appealing fun and catchy slogans and catchwordssuch as the representative slogan “Come Feel The Safer Side Of Sex,” asshown in FIG. 1. The conversion of the box 16 into the condom dispensershown in the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2 provides a handy, portable wayto dispense condoms while also promoting safe and healthy sexualpractices.

Illustrated in FIGS. 3-7 is a second preferred embodiment of the condompackaging system 10 of the present invention. The condom packing system10 of FIGS. 3-7 is a lightweight, portable, waterproof system thatincludes a rectangular-shaped box 48 having a back wall 50, a front wall52, opposed side walls 54, a floor or bottom 56 and an opposite top wall58; and the top wall 58 includes a leading front edge 60 and the sidewalls 54 include vertical side wall edges 62. All of the aforesaidstructures define an interior cavity 64 wherein the condom wrappers aredisposed.

More specifically, the front wall 52 is further defined by an upperfront half wall portion 66 that is permanently affixed to the top wall58 and the opposed side walls 54 along the leading edge 60 of the topwall 58 and the opposed vertical edges 62 of the side walls 54.Centrally located on the upper front half wall portion 66 is a cut out68 that is coplanar with the upper front half wall portion 66 andextends up toward the leading edge 60 of the top wall 58. In addition, alower front half wall portion 70 also further defines the front wall 52,the lower half wall portion 70 mates with the upper front half wallportion 66. The lower front half wall portion 70 includes acentrally-located tongue 72 that interfits with the cut out 68 on theupper front half wall portion 66 and a peel strip or tab 74 thatprojects from the tongue 72 and is manually graspable so that theindividual is able to gradually and incrementally peel away and detachthe lower front half wall portion 70 from the upper front half wallportion 66 so that the condoms can be dispensed from the box 48 that hasbeen converted into a condom dispenser.

As shown in FIGS. 4-7, the permanently affixed upper front half wallportion 66 is interconnected and adjoined to the detachable lower halfwall portion 70 along continuous detachment, separation or score lines76, and this allows for the incremental detachment of the lower halfwall portion 70 from the upper half wall portion 66 concomitant with thegradual removal and use of the condoms from the box 48. The detachmentor score line 76 extends along the entire periphery or contour of thelower half wall portion 70 and the contour or periphery of the upperhalf wall portion 66 that engages with the lower half wall portion 70.Furthermore, the entire front edge 60 of the floor 56 and the verticaledges 62 of the side walls 54 also include and form part of thedetachment or score lines 76.

Thus, FIG. 5 illustrates the initial detachment of the lower half wallportion 70 wherein the area adjacent the tongue 72 has been detached andpeeled away so that the individual can access and retrieve condomslocated toward the front of the box 48. In FIG. 6 a larger section ofthe lower front half wall portion 70 has been detached and peeled awayto provide easier access to the condoms within the interior cavity 64that are located in the middle or toward the back of the box 48. In FIG.7 a majority of the lower front half wall portion 70 has been detachedand peeled away from the upper half wall portion 66 with theinterconnection of the two half wall portions 66 and 70 only being alongthe score lines 76 located at the front edge 60 of the floor 56 and thelowermost edge 78 of the lower half wall portion 70. This amount ofdetachment of the lower half wall portion 70 allows the individual fullaccess to any remaining condoms located at the rear of the box 48. (Itshould be noted that FIG. 4 shows the complete detachment and removal ofthe lower half wall portion 70 from the upper half wall portion 66, and,by extension, from the box 48.) After being detached and peeled away agiven amount or extent for condom dispensing as shown in FIGS. 5-7, thelower half wall portion 70 can be repositioned and closed back upon andcontiguous with the upper half wall portion 66; and will remain in theclosed position, as shown in FIG. 3, because of the tight, interfittingengagement of the lower half wall portion 70 to the upper half wallportion 66. However, the half wall portions 66 and 70 cannot bephysically reattached once the detachment or score lines 76 on portions66 and 70, and along edges 60 and 62 have been physically separated. Thelower half wall portion 70 is of a flexible composition to allow for itsbeing detached, bent and peeled away gradually and incrementally fromthe upper half wall portion 66 and for being repositioned in tightcoplanar alignment with the upper half wall portion 66 after condomremoval thereby, in effect, closing the dispenser box 48.

As shown in FIG. 3, the box 48 includes visually appealing andattractive indicia 80 printed on various surfaces of the box 48, such asthe front wall 52, for promoting and encouraging safe and healthy sexualpractices. The indicia 80 are in the form of a fun and catchy slogansuch as the representative slogan “Come Feel The Safer Side Of Sex.”

1. A condom packaging system, comprising: a box having a bottom floor, apair of opposed side walls, a front wall, a back wall and an upper end;the bottom floor, the side walls, the front wall and the back wallfurther defining an interior cavity for the storage therein of aplurality of condom wrappers with each condom wrapper containing onecondom; the back wall further defining an upper long edge; the frontwall further defining an upper long front edge; a back flap pivotallysecured to the upper long edge of the back wall; a front flap pivotallysecured to the upper long front edge of the front wall; the back flapincluding a u-shaped slot centrally located thereon; the front flapincluding a protrusion centrally located thereon and for engagement toand disengagement from the u-shaped slot on the back flap so that thefront flap can be closed upon the back flap and lifted from the backflap; indicia printed on the front wall for promoting safe and healthysexual practices; and whereupon the box is convertible to a condomdispenser by disengaging the protrusion from the slot so that the frontflap can be lifted from the back flap thereby allowing an individual togain access to the interior cavity so that the condom wrappers can bedispensed therefrom for use by the individual.
 2. The condom packagingsystem of claim 1 further comprising a pair of side flaps with each sideflap pivotally securable to each respective sidewall and disposedbeneath the back flap and the front flap when the box is closed.
 3. Acondom packaging system for dispensing condoms therefrom, comprising: arectangular-shaped box having a back wall, a front wall, a pair ofopposed side walls, a floor and a top wall; the back wall, the frontwall, the pair of opposed side walls, the floor and the top walldefining an interior cavity for storage therein of the condoms; thefront wall further defined by an upper front half wall portionpermanently attached to the top wall and the side walls and a lowerfront half wall portion detachably securable to the side walls and thebottom wall; the lower front half wall portion including a peel tab thatis manually grasped for detaching and gradually peeling the lower fronthalf wall portion away from the upper front half wall portion; indiciaprinted upon the upper front half wall portion and the lower front halfwall portion for promoting safe and healthy sexual practices; andwhereupon an individual can grasp and manually detach and peel the lowerfront half wall portion away from the upper front half wall portion sothat individual can access and remove the condoms as needed and therebyconverting the box into a portable condom dispenser.
 4. The condompackaging system of claim 3 wherein the upper front half wall portionincludes a centrally located cut out that extends up toward the topwall.
 5. The condom packaging system of claim 4 wherein the lower fronthalf wall portion includes a centrally located tongue that interfitswith the cut out of the upper front half wall portion and is capable ofdetachment therefrom concomitant with the detachment and peeling away ofthe lower front half wall portion from the upper front half wallportion.